Upon the Wares, whilst trying to follow and awkward track, I just caught sight of a smaller mammal which was more agile than I. Was it a Deer or a Fox, I could not confirm as an arched rear disappeared into scrub. Another good morning for Marbled White, Large Whites, Six Spot Burnet Moth and to a lesser degree Gatekeepers and at least a Small Skipper. I saw one butterfly snap its wings shut, like a school child attempting to catch another’s fingers between the pages of a book.
Wild Bay Willow Herb had added to the flowers which were mostly dominated by Corky Fruited Water dropwort and Greater Knapweed in places. A Pyramidal Orchid crown or two persisted at scrub edges. Red Bartsia held on well as did the tiny Eyebright whilst Rest Harrow had passed it best show. Chattering Goldfinches pass overhead. Upon the quarried downland the obviously named Dwarf Thistle flowers hugged the ground with their collars of prickly leaves.
The clam sea was disturbed by light ripples or the wake of a noisy motorboat. Eventually three fishing vessels were off Anvil Point. An early morning canoeist passed the gully mouth quietly. Two dozen Herring Gulls loitered beside the coast path steps. Those seen flying over land, headed west. It was lucky that I looked up for flying west high above the measured mile markers it could only have been a Cormorant.
The gully overhead wires had a variety of occupants through my patrol. The last being a pair of Pied Wagtails perched near the inland post. Earlier a pair of Swallows had briefly paused either side of a “midway” post as was later chosen by a pair of Jackdaws. They avoided the noisy dozen Jackdaws clustered nearer the lighthouse. With each additional arrival the wire bounced with its increased burden. Did they change perches because the Lighthouse cottage roof tops had become too warm? One group of said birds had appeared to have been “shepherded” by a Carrion Crow upon the Gully only to be overtaken by their “master”.
Amongst the gully tree cover a large well-formed Apple hug out of easy access from the likes of me. I marvelled at how two horizontal vines of Clematis stretched between two trees in a glade. They looked thick enough to support a young Tarzan whom might want to travel without leaving footprints. Perhaps they were the silk threads of a giant spider!
Returning to the centre a vociferous House Sparrow called whilst a pair Swallows went into the bird hide. Inside flying insects had less room for escape from these aerial harvesters. Outside a vicious fight between two young House Sparrows concluded after my investigation and their parting company amongst path edge Bramble.